During the Estonian national awakening period in the 19th century, Suure-Jaani parish was an important region for Estonian culture.
Notable persons buried at the Suure-Jaani cemetery include the composers Artur Kapp, Villem Kapp and Mart Saar, and the painter Johann Köler, as well as Ado Johanson, the first Estonian professional agronomist.
Presently, Suure-Jaani hosts the Suure-Jaani Music Days, an annual summer festival of classical music started in 1998, dedicated to the Kapp family of composers. Suure-Jaani is also the place of establishment of the International Artur Kapp Society, a non-profit foundation for promoting the works and life of composer Artur Kapp and other authors related to Suure-Jaani
